A Christmas Thought

Our church sponsors a Sunday School lesson at our local nursing home facility and I have had the pleasure of leading or being a weekly part of it for over twenty years. This morning I drove over to the facility just to wish everyone a hearty “Merry Christmas” and to share a prayer with those who were not feeling so chipper. Our little town is lucky to have a local elderly care facility with a staff that is both professional and caring. I have been in some facilities where that were not the case and the atmosphere reflected that uncaring environment.

I talked to two staff members who were on duty and both of them stated that they now enjoyed working at the facility on Christmas. They said their kids and grandkids were now grown and the younger staff members needed to be with their children on Christmas.

Christmas is a special time for families. Bonds between parents and children are established that will be refreshed and remembered long after the passing of the parents. It is a special time to create an atmosphere that is both loving and sharing. It is also a time to learn how to appreciate the gifts given to you.  Children need to understand that gifts given freely still cost the giver something. As I grow older I try to remember what my parents were doing when they were my age and wonder if my feelings about life, family, and all of the daily routines we muddle through are the same ones they felt. I would think they are very similar. When I was eight years old, my only gift on Christmas morning was a flashlight. My brother received a twenty-nine cent bag of plastic toy soldiers. I don’t remember my sister’s gift, but I’m sure it was comparable to mine. My mother and father gave us what they could. That flashlight is long discarded but the memory, coupled now with my understanding of my parent’s situation that Christmas is as vivid as any memory I have.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas. Remember that the gift of God’s only son eventually cost Jesus his life. Nothing is free and time is also a gift. Use it wisely so that the family time you share today is filled with the understanding that this season, no matter how we adjust the name for political purposes, is about the birth of Jesus. The memory for your children of a Christian home will be the best gift you can give them.

I’ll end on a light note. One of the elderly ladies I spoke with this morning likes to watch soap operas. She was in front of her television and I jokingly asked if her soap opera was on. “Oh no,” she answered. “I’m watching a movie about the birth of Jesus.” I looked at the screen and recognized the movie and remarked that I had seen it about twenty years ago. “Yes,” she said. “That’s a good thing about getting old.  I forget so much, that it’s new to me again.” We both laughed. Have a merry Christmas.